Figures published by Bord Bia on the export performance of various Irish agri-food sectors today (Wednesday, January 11), demonstrate that the meat industry “is the backbone of the rural economy”, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has said.
Meat and livestock exports totalled €4 billion in 2022 and was the second-largest category within Ireland’s overall food and drink exports breakdown.
66% of meat and livestock exports were beef and beef offals, 13% was pigmeat, 12% was sheepmeat and 3% was poultry. Meanwhile, 6% of the sector’s exports were live exports, translating to €230 million, an increase of 8% on 2021’s figure.
Commenting on the announcement, MII director Dale Crammond said the sector has “shown itself once again to be one of the most resilient indigenous industries”.
“Meat producers contributed to a record breaking 22% increase in 2022, against a backdrop of inflationary pressures and increased production costs.
“The performance of Irish meat exporters in such circumstances is a testament to years of significant investment to ensure Ireland can compete on a European and global scale, delivering a high quality, safe and sustainable meat offering to a diverse range of markets and channels,” Crammond added.
The report showed that 94 markets were served by meat and livestock exports last year, with the European Union the largest, followed by the UK in second place. The proportion of exports to these two markets increased by 25% and 12% respectively.
However, MII stated that there are still several key issues affecting the sector’s prospects in 2023, including the sustainability agenda and consumer behaviours in relation to the cost-of-living crisis across Europe, the UK and the US.
The association said that Irish livestock and meat have strong sustainability credentials, yet delivering a reduction in emissions still presents a challenge to the industry.
In addition to this, inflationary pressures persist. Challenges around higher interest rates and a slowdown in global economic growth, alongside soaring input prices present a combined difficulture that the sector will be up against in the coming year.